Card-index device



'ooooooaoo oooopo' June 15 1926.

J. H. RAND. JR

CARD INDEX DEVICE Filed Oct. 26, 1923 I -.g E f@ 1- I' t? up F Z5 f l Ef I :zzgzzzzzlmmAz Patented June 15, 1926.

UNITED STATES 'JAMES E. RAND, JR., 401?' TONAWANDA, .NEW YORK.

Gann-INDEX nnvron.

Application lcd October 26, 1923. Serial N0. 670,838.

This invention relates to index devices, and more particularly todevices having signals for directing theA attention of the user y of theindex to certain cards at certain times.

Heretofore index devices which have comprised, generally, a plurality ofcards or card-holders which may be secured in overlapping relation on asuitable holder with the edges or portions of the several -cards orholders visible one above the other, have Vbeen provided with variousforms' of signals. yIncluded lanion these devices there have beenmovable ta s or members adapted to be placed in the pocket or sheath atthe bottom l5 of the card and which may be shifted transversely on thecard. The devices of this kind have been movable crosswise ortransversel of the cards and being readily shiftable, ave beernimpractical to signal or call attention to any particular item on orortion of the cards,.as .they cannot be re ied upon to maintain thepositions in which they are placed and have been relatively difcult tomsert and remove.

f In the use of card index systems it is often desirable that attentionbe directed to the accounts or .data appearing on the different cards ofthe index at different times, as, for example, it is sometimes desirablethat the accounts for data appearing on certain of the cards beconsidered for one purpose oranother on the first day of-.each month, orupon anyof the succeeding days of the month, depending upon thecharacter of the accounts and data and the nature and character of thebusiness in which the index is used. These signals should preferably bedisplayed so that the pro er cards may be selected at a glance when t ecards are lying iiat in overlapping relation without the necessity oflifting any of the cards.

The objects` of the presentfinvention are to provide card indexes inwhich. cards orl l cards are provided with means for directingcard-holders are normally held in overlapping relation and provided withsignallin means which may be placed and which wi remain in definitepredetermined positions on the cards; also to provide a card index ofthe type referred to having signal de- .50 vices so displayed as toenable cardsto lwhich attention should be directed at any time to bereadily selected without the necessity of -data or material.

swinging or lifting any of the-cards or cardholders; also to provide anindex having an improved signal and signal-holding means,

whereby Ithe signals will not become misplaced; and also to provideimprovements 1n cardindex devices in the other respects hereinafter setforth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

' Fig. 1 is a lan view of a portion of an" index lllustrating thepresent invention. f Flg. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of a cardillustrating the invention, on a sligthly enlarged scale.

8 is a section on line 3--3, Fig.- 2.

Flg. 4 1s a fragmentary plan view of a card-holder and card of slightlymodied form.

Figi 5 is a fragmentary plan view of a 70 cardolder showing a modifiedform of card and signal.

Generally stated, the vpresent invention provides signal devices andcards or cardholders arranged in overlapping relation with their edgeportions exposed one beyond another and said cards or card holdershaving parts for firmly but releasably holdlng the signal devices inoperative relation to such portions.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings, there is Shown a portion of a card indexinstallation .comrlsmga part of a usual tray A having side anges B and aplurality of holders C for index data cards or the like. As shown inFig. 1, these holders are provided with means for removably retaining.them on thel tray, as for example, the tongues D which take under theside flanges B of the tray. The helders are provided wtih separate cardsor the like adapted to receive and display index With the form ofholders lllustrated in Fig. 1, there is shown a card portion E which isreleasably/held on the holder portion C by the tonguesF. The, 95

the attentlon of the user of the index' to certain of .the cards at andesired predeternnned time. This may 'I e done by display-A lng on thecards notations desi ating the days of the month, as shown in F1 1 and2, and combining with these designatmns means for relasably holding avsignal member or devl. In the form ofthe invention shown l in Fi s. 1 to3, the card is provided with e;

Asheath on a holder.

plura ity of numbered straps G, and signal devices are provided whichare adapted to be held in place on the card by the straps G to directthe attention of the user of the indexl to the card on which the signaldevices are displayed. These signal devices are so positioned and are ofsuch form that the devices or portions of them are visible when thecards are lying one upon the other in the index, as for exam le, in Fig.1, it will be noted that ends f t e signal devices pr0- ject on theoverlapping portions of the cards and may be readily viewed. In Figs. 1to 4 "inclusive, this signal device is shown as a tab or member H havinga shank or portion I adapted to extend under the tongue Gand a head K bymeans of which it may be handled and which prevents the signal devicesfrom slipping through the tongued portion of the card. As shown, theShanks I of the signal members are preferably of such length that theyextend adjacent to the outer edge of the card or 4holder and are thusvisible when the cards are in their operlapping relation.

It will be apparent from the description thus far, the cards beingproperly supplied with signal devices, that the user of the index, byglancing at the cards inthe index tray or drawer, may readily andexpeditiously pick out those cards requiring attention on any givendate.

In Fig. 4 the invention is shown as applied to a card which is held atits lower edge in a celluloid or othertransparent As the device shown inthat ligure is essentially the same as described in Figs. 1 to 3, itrequires no separate description further., than that in such form theshank ofthe signal tab extends under a portion of the sheathor pocketand is visible therethrough.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, the, straps G are provided inpredetermined spaced position and may readily be formed as by pairs ofslits or apertures L. The4 straps are preferably of just suiiicientlength to `accommodate the shank of the signal device and effectivelyhold the signal device in position and' prevent any unintentionalshifting of the devices transversely ofthe card. I n order to move a sinal transversely of the card when desired, it 1 s only necessary towithdraw the signal from the stra under which it is inserted and placeit eneath another strap. e

The shts or apertures L which provide the straps may be. readily `formed-in the cards by'means of a simple stampin operation and are veryeconomical to ro uce and the signal devieesvmay likewise produced vat a.relatively small cost. Thestraps, or portions of the card adjacent thestra s,

sired, otherthan indications of the days of the month, and the si almembers may be of any desired color, t us, for example, different colorsmay be used for signals to call attention to different kinds orcharacters of accounts.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 5, the tongues G andslits L are replaced by round spaced perforations L and a/signal deviceL2 having oppositely disposed `lateral ears or lugs L8 adapted toentertwo of the perforat1ons L is used. The shank ortion of this signalmember is preferably ormed of substantially the same width as thedist-ance between the perforations receiving the ears La so as toprevent lateral displacement of the signal member. The ears L3 passingunder the intermediate portions or parts of the card between theperforations, prevent the unintentional displacement of the signalmember.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an index device comprising a plurality of index members disposedin overlapping relation with the edge portion of each member projectingand exposed beyond an adjacent member, the combination of a plurality ofsignal-holding parts on each card disposed so as to be concealed by anadjacent card, a signal tab having a part adapted to be releasablyengaged by any one of said holding parts 'to secure Ait in place on saidcard, and said tab having a part projecting beyond said adjacent card toact as a visible signal.

2. In an index device comprising av plurality of index members dis osedin overlap ing.relation with the edge portion of eac member projectingand exposed beyond an adjacent member, the combination of a plurality offixedq, spaced, signal-holding parts on each card, each part comprisinga strip extending substantially parallel wit-h said edge portions` andsaid card having an aperture formed on each side of said strip, adetachable si nal comprising a straight shank portion adapted to passthrough said apertures beneath any one of said holding parts so as toproject beyond said part to act as a signal, and a part on said signalfor engaging said holding part to prevent displacement of said signal.

3. In an index device comprising a plurality of index members dis osedin'overlapping relation with the e ge portion of each member projectingand exposed beyond an adjacent member, the combination of a transverseseries of signal-holding -parts on each card dis oysd so as to liebeneath an adjacent car and adapted to releasably hold signals inpredetermined positions on said card, signal tabs adapted vto be en agedwith any one of said holding parts, aneach tab havin a signal portionadapted, when saidsigm .rssecured n1.A place, to extend upon the exposedportion of the card to act said designating and receiving parts, a signsu sig-nul. k.nul tab having n, part adapted to engage 1n 4. '1n :uiiudox dvvicv, n. record card, u plun selva-tod pair of apertures so asto project 10 rnlity of signal .designating und holding upon said carund be releusnhly hold in parts locuhdin pimivtomniued positions onposition by one of said holding 'parts adjatlio cul-d, und said cui-d'having a. series of cont its designation'.- pairs ofsignal-receivingapertures adjacent v JAMES H. RAND, JR.

